I am looking for advice on what has worked or not worked as far as recruiting agents. I pay 100% commission and charge a monthly fee and per transaction fee. This model is not very prevalant in Pennsylvania outside of a RE/MAX, where the monthly fee is much higher than what I am charging. I am actively trying to recruit agents for my office and want to use best methods.
As a side question, has anyone come across good, accurate email lists for agents. I purchased one list, but really not great. There were agents on it that changed companies 3 years before and newer agents that are still not on the list 2 years later. The other issue with the list is that I do not want to send emails to brokers, just to agents and those lists do not break that out. I have been sending emails one by one, office by office, but is very time consuming. I am looking for a reliable way to send a mass email to my target.

Just hard work simple as that with no magic bullet. Lists are worthless and I don't care that I send to another broker. You can get list from your mls in the agent directory most times.

You then send the list using an e-mail service or a website that has a program that allows you to do this.

I have about 40 agents now.

I will tell you this. Many brokers are shutting down offices and going virtual. With agents having fewer sales they want to keep more of those sales.

In the beginning I was taking all agents but now I qualify them on the phone. If I feel they will be trouble I won't take them and I also will no longer take new agents. I find they need intensive training of hours a day and for my 289.00 trans fee it is not worth my time unless they want to go 60/40. Most of the time they are looking for 100 percent AND the training which isn't going to happen.

I look for instead experienced agents who want to keep more of what they earn.

Having 30 agents do 2 deals a month at 289.00 per trans is much better than having 100 agents and 50 you need to handhold,10 troublemakers,and 40 who do some closings.

I still give them support but I don't have to answer basic questions all the time as I am selling my commercial listings as well.

For me it is not how big I can get but how much I can make with expending the least amount of energy and having the most time off to enjoy life.

I am fixing to start recruiting again but I am much more selective on who I take now.I also have a different split for commercial properties because I would have to train them intensively and if they want to learn that business they will have to pay for it.

DAS -

As a PA broker you know that the state has some ancient rules about offices, signs, etc. We maintain a small office just to have a private consultation space that meets the state's requirements. I go to the office 3 or 4 times a week to pick up mail. Otherwise, everything is done from home.

I don't think that the state real estate commission will recognize virtual offices until pigs learn to fly. It's dominated by big box brokerages that want to maintain the same-old, same-old.

My company, eBrokerHouse, can offer the backbone/back office any Broker needs to run a truly virtual and paperless office. Our web based platform allows brokers to increase their agent recruitment, retention and productivity.

In addition, each agent in your office receives their own in depth back office to manage their entire business including: management of their team/assistants, all listings regardless of type, buyers, contacts, task, reimbursements, BPOs, online offer submission, built in showing scheduling, unlimited document storage, and much more.

Google us and give us a call or PM me. The system is very user friendly, but we will train your entire office to have you and your agents running smoothly from day one.

Paul

Yes, I would have a total virutal office if possible, but PA does not allow it. They are behind the times is for sure.
Anybody else with hints as to what has worked or not worked for recruiting?

Get on your MLS, get the phone numbers of agents that actually sell real estate, and give them a call. Ask them if they are happy, and let them know your deal. If you give them something good enough, they might want to join you. All you can do is try, but the best way I have found is talking face to face or a phone call. Best of luck!